Southwestern Bell offers a service called Privacy Manager which blocks incoming numbers that are unavailable, anonymous, out of area, or private. The services uses the caller ID to identify the unwanted calls. The service is only available in certain cities. When an unidentified call reaches your phone line the caller hears a message which asks for identification. If given then the call goes through and rings the phone. A message appears on the caller ID box identifying it as a screened call. You have four options to handle the call: accept, reject, send it to an answering machine, or issue a solicitor""s rejection message. The service costs $5.00 per month. Verizon will offer a similar service called Call Intercept in 2001. These services only reject calls whose caller ID number is absent. Undesirable calls which have a valid caller ID number will come through and ring the phone.
In accordance with the present invention a Caller Select box enables the user to program a list of desired numbers. When an incoming number matches a number in the list the phone is allowed to ring.